BackupBuddy is one of the most popular premium backup plugins available for WordPress. BackupBuddy lets you schedule daily, weekly, or monthly backups and store them at an external location, such as Dropbox or Rackspace Cloud, or email them to yourself.
Downloading and Installing BackupBuddy
Even though it is one of the first complete backup solutions for WordPress, BackupBuddy can only be downloaded directly from its developer, iThemes, and cannot be downloaded from the WordPress Plugin Directory.
To download BackupBuddy, visit https://ithemes.com/purchase/backupbuddy/ and select the plan that works best for you.
After completing your purchase, log in to your iThemes Member Panel and select Downloads from the menu.
Then, select BackupBuddy from the Downloads submenu or scroll down to BackupBuddy in your product list. Click the BackupBuddy link to begin the download. Do not decompress the .zip file.
To install BackupBuddy, log in to WordPress and select Add New from the Plugins menu.
Click Upload Plugin. Click Choose File and select backupbuddy.zip from your computer’s Downloads folder.
Click Install Now.
Click Activate Plugin when the installation completes.
Setting Your Backup Destination
After activating BackupBuddy, the first thing you should do is configure the plugin’s settings.
First, select Settings from the BackupBuddy menu.
Create a password for your ImportBuddy and RepairBuddy files. Enter an email address to receive error notifications should a backup fail. Save your settings.
Next, set up the remote destination for your backup files by selecting Remote Destination from the BackupBuddy menu.
Choose the location to send your file from the list provided and enter any log-in credentials when asked.
Give the destination a name and adjust the backup settings as needed (though the remote settings should work fine).
Click Test Settings. If the test runs properly, click +Add Destination.
Completing Your First Backup
Now that you’ve set the location for your remote backups, it’s time to create the first backup of your site.
First, select Backup from the BackupBuddy menu.
In the Backup panel, click Complete Backup, and BackupBuddy will begin compiling a backup of all your site’s assets.
When the backup is complete and you’re given a green light, click Send Backup to Destination. (You will also have the option to download your backup.)
Select your remote destination from the pop-up window, and your backup will be exported.
Repeat these steps to create your first database backup.
Setting Your Backup Schedule
Once you’ve created your initial backups, you can begin scheduling regular backups.
First, select Scheduling from the BackupBuddy menu.
Then, enter the Schedule Name or choose the Backup Type (either database only or full backup).
Set the Backup Interval as monthly, twice monthly, weekly, daily, or hourly. Then, set a time for the backup when you will have the least amount of traffic coming to your site, such as after midnight.
Next, add your remote destination. You can also elect to delete the local backup file after the remote backup is successful.
Place a check mark next to Enable Schedule to Run.
Click +Add New Schedule.
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